Connect is an extensible HTTP server framework for node using "plugins" known as middleware.

varconnect=require('connect')varhttp=require('http')varapp=connect()// gzip/deflate outgoing responsesvarcompression=require('compression')app.use(compression())// store session state in browser cookievarcookieSession=require('cookie-session')app.use(cookieSession({keys: ['secret1','secret2']}))// parse urlencoded request bodies into req.bodyvarbodyParser=require('body-parser')app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded())// respond to all requestsapp.use(function(req,res){res.end('Hello from Connect!\n');})//create node.js http server and listen on porthttp.createServer(app).listen(3000)

Connect is a simple framework to glue together various "middleware" to handle requests.

$ npm install connect

The main component is a Connect "app". This will store all the middleware added and is, itself, a function.

varapp=connect();

The core of Connect is "using" middleware. Middleware are added as a "stack" where incoming requests will execute each middleware one-by-one until a middleware does not call next() within it.

app.use(functionmiddleware1(req,res,next){// middleware 1next();});app.use(functionmiddleware2(req,res,next){// middleware 2next();});

The .use() method also takes an optional path string that is matched against the beginning of the incoming request URL. This allows for basic routing.

app.use('/foo',functionfooMiddleware(req,res,next){// req.url starts with "/foo"next();});app.use('/bar',functionbarMiddleware(req,res,next){// req.url starts with "/bar"next();});

There are special cases of "error-handling" middleware. There are middleware where the function takes exactly 4 arguments. Errors that occur in the middleware added before the error middleware will invoke this middleware when errors occur.

app.use(functiononerror(err,req,res,next){// an error occurred!});

The last step is to actually use the Connect app in a server. The .listen() method is a convenience to start a HTTP server.

varserver=app.listen(port);

The app itself is really just a function with three arguments, so it can also be handed to .createServer() in Node.js.

varserver=http.createServer(app);

These middleware and libraries are officially supported by the Connect/Express team:

• body-parser - previous bodyParser, json, and urlencoded. You may also be interested in:
  • body
  • co-body
  • raw-body
• compression - previously compress
• connect-timeout - previously timeout
• cookie-parser - previously cookieParser
• cookie-session - previously cookieSession
• csurf - previously csrf
• errorhandler - previously error-handler
• express-session - previously session
• method-override - previously method-override
• morgan - previously logger
• response-time - previously response-time
• serve-favicon - previously favicon
• serve-index - previously directory
• serve-static - previously static
• vhost - previously vhost

Most of these are exact ports of their Connect 2.x equivalents. The primary exception is cookie-session.

Some middleware previously included with Connect are no longer supported by the Connect/Express team, are replaced by an alternative module, or should be superseded by a better module. Use one of these alternatives instead:

• cookieParser
  • cookies and keygrip
• limit
  • raw-body
• multipart
  • connect-multiparty
  • connect-busboy
• query
  • qs
• staticCache
  • st
  • connect-static

Checkout http-framework for many other compatible middleware!

npm install npm test

https://github.com/senchalabs/connect/graphs/contributors

• Connect < 1.x - node 0.2
• Connect 1.x - node 0.4
• Connect < 2.8 - node 0.6
• Connect >= 2.8 < 3 - node 0.8
• Connect >= 3 - node 0.10

MIT